Chapter Six
Only Psychopaths Eat the Head Last
“A shame the sun isn’t out today,” Sawyer said as we sat in his study around midday. He’d invited me to the castle for lunch. “We could’ve taken a stroll in the gardens.”
“This is just as nice.” I rested a hand on my full belly, feeling like a balloon about to pop.
A fire burned in the large hearth, and the wall of windows reflected the dreary day. Despite the gray sky, the room was cozy. Sawyer’s personal touch was all over it. The shelves of books, the crinkle in their spines proof that they were well loved. The armchairs with plushy pillows and a desk with a vase of purple flowers.
“The days are growing shorter,” he said softly. “And the nights are much too long.”
“Kuya will steal the sun for his prince.” Kuya dashed over to the window and rested his palms against the glass, his reddish-brown tail swishing behind him. “Then, Prince Sawyer will always be warm and happy.”
“I already am with you by my side.” Sawyer smiled at him, then looked at me. “Gratitude for the food. It was delicious as always.”
“Glad you liked it.”
Rose, the head cook in the castle kitchen, had given me free rein of the place. I’d cooked tomato-and-basil soup for lunch—enough for the castle staff to eat too—and had brought sourdough bread from my cafe with a garlic butter smear to go with it. Also in my basket of goodies, sugar cookies and strawberry cupcakes.
After we’d eaten, I brewed coffee and passed out the cookies. The cupcakes were already devoured by a certain adorable cat boy, the remnants at the edge of his lips.
“These are wonderful as well.” Sawyer examined the sugar cookie. I had iced each one and decorated them with holly leaves. Some had snowflakes. “The design is exquisite.”
“I did it for winter.” My cheeks heated with the compliment. I was so awkward when it came to them.
Back in my old world, it must’ve been early December, if I had to guess. Christmas music, festive decorations, and seasonal treats would’ve taken over by now. I didn’t really miss the holidays, having spent them alone for as long as I could remember, but I missed the atmosphere of the holiday season. The sense of magic and wonder. And the food.
Fortunately, the food was something I didn’t have to go without. I’d tried out seasonal recipes for my men before integrating them into the café menu. My pecan pie had been a massive hit with customers.
“Does Bremloc get snow?” I bit into a cookie.
Sawyer didn’t know I was from another world, but he was a smart guy. I was sure he’d put some pieces together by now. After all, Kuya had met Lupin and visited the Emporium too. That was how Kuya had found Sawyer all those years ago. A lantern had guided him.
“Yes,” he answered. “Areas farther north get much more, but we usually see some.”
We ate our cookies and drank coffee in a comfortable silence, listening to the crackle of the fire and Kuya’s little chitters as he stood at the window and watched bluebirds flutter from one branch to another.
“Thank you for accepting my invitation to lunch.” Sawyer took a drink to wash down the last of the cookie. “It’s been too long since I’ve seen you. Too long since I’ve been allowed outside these grounds, really.”
“They’re still keeping you locked away, huh?”
“For my own protection,” he responded in a deeper voice. I snorted when realizing he was imitating Sir Noah. “My father has ordered more guards to watch over me since the incident with the bandits. He means well. I know he does. It just feels so suffocating never having a moment to myself, even when walking around my own home. Even now, guards are posted outside the door.”
“Yeah, one of them tasted the soup before they let me make your bowl. To make sure it wasn’t poisoned, I guess.”
Sawyer sighed. He sounded and looked so tired. The kind of tired no amount of rest could help. “All the fuss over me seems so… unnecessary.”
“Well, King Silas did try to have you captured so you could be a bargaining chip or whatever,” I pointed out. “So, I wouldn’t say it’s unnecessary.”
“Perhaps you’re right.” Sawyer sipped his coffee. “Yet, it baffles me.”
“What does?”
“Why Haran targeted me.” He stared at the fire. “Why not my brother instead?”
“Probably because he’s a royal pain in the ass,” I said on impulse, then balked. “Um, I mean, not that there’s anything wrong with Prince Cedric. He’s, uh, very nice. Not a douche at all… crap, I—”
“Evan?” Sawyer cracked a smile. “Breathe. All is well. When it’s just you and me, you can freely speak your mind, remember?” His gaze returned to the fire. “Cedric and I certainly have our differences. He wishes to rule with an iron fist someday, whereas I believe a king should be strong but also value honor and compassion. Both methods have their advantages, I suppose.”
Typical Sawyer. He would never admit his brother was an asshole. He was too kind for that.
“King Silas knew he’d be risking war by threatening a member of the royal household,” he continued. “So why target me ? Why not the Crown Prince? Surely, Cedric would’ve been a greater bargaining chip, as you put it. He’s worth starting a war over.”
“Free to speak my mind, right?” I anxiously toyed with my hands. He nodded for me to continue. “Maybe King Silas knows that while Cedric is heir to the throne, you’re the one the people love the most. You’re the one your father would move mountains for.”
“Or perhaps it’s because I’m the weaker one,” he said with a faraway look in his eyes. “My illness as a child is common knowledge throughout not only Bremloc but in other kingdoms as well. I’m an easy target.”
Sawyer had nearly died when he was little from an unknown illness. The court physician at the time hadn’t been able to cure him. Hell, no one had even known what was wrong with him. King Eidolon had then put out a summons for every physician in the kingdom and all the cities surrounding it to journey to the castle and try to heal the prince. Briar had been the one to find the answer. He’d saved Sawyer.
“Kuya doesn’t like when his prince says mean things about himself.” The cat boy bounced over to Sawyer and knelt in front of him, resting his cheek on Sawyer’s knee. “Prince Sawyer is perfect to Kuya. He’s Kuya’s most treasured person.”
Sawyer petted Kuya’s reddish-brown hair. “You’re perfect to me too.”
I wanted to ask about Sawyer’s engagement to Lady Alina, the baron’s daughter, but held my tongue. The two of them looked too sweet right then, and I didn’t want to ruin it by bringing up a topic that made both of them sad.
“Need more coffee?” I reached for Sawyer’s empty cup.
“Oh, that’d be lovely.” He handed it to me. “Thank you.”
While I refilled our cups, Kuya padded over to the rug in front of the fire, carrying a large cushion with him. He tossed it down and leapt on top of it, then stuck his feet forward and grinned as he wiggled his toes to warm them. A small wooden box sat in his lap.
“What’s that?” I asked, handing Sawyer a cup before sitting back down with mine.
“Kuya’s treasure.” With his rainbow eyes sparkling, he opened the lid and showed me a shiny rock he’d found at the pond. There was also a small cloth doll with cat ears—same color as Kuya’s—along with buttons of various shapes and sizes, more shiny rocks, and copper coins that equaled about two dollars in the kingdom’s currency.
“No strawberry cake?”
Kuya flashed a toothy grin. “Evan is silly. Cake needs to be eaten, not stored in Kuya’s treasure box.”
Sawyer smiled and grabbed another cookie, this one with a snowflake design. “When do you leave for Exalos?”
“Two days from now,” I answered. Time had flown by since my meeting with Walter Willoughby. The preparations and travel arrangements had been made, and the anxiety was no joke. All the “what if” scenarios and things that could go wrong. “I’m kinda nervous.”
“You’ll have knights traveling with you, correct? If not, I’ll send guards to accompany you.”
“Maddox said he had it handled. Whatever that means.” My grumpy, stubborn captain hadn’t given me more details beyond that. “Let’s hope his plan doesn’t involve locking me in a cage and having his knights haul me around everywhere.” I deepened my voice. “For my own protection.”
Sawyer laughed at my Maddox impersonation. “What would we do without the overprotective men in our lives?”
“Get into trouble probably.”
Another laugh. “You may be right about that. And here you are with three of them who also love you on top of that protectiveness.” There was a slight hesitation in his expression before he added, in a much softer voice, “How is Lake faring?”
Sawyer knew Lake was a demi-wolf. He also knew how dangerous it’d be if the wrong person overheard our conversation, so he was careful with his words.
“He’s doing well.” I wrapped my hands around my cup, hoping the warmth chased away some of the ice in my veins. “He wants to travel with me to Exalos, and it scares me. But if I tell him not to, he’ll just do it anyway.”
“If something ever happens where his identity becomes known, I’ll do everything in my power to help him. I know that doesn’t alleviate your worries, but I hope it offers you some comfort at least.”
“It does.” My sternum tightened. “Thanks.”
A hard knock came at the door before it opened.
“Master Kuya?” A middle-aged man entered the study. His gray hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, and an elegant waistcoat covered his tall, thin frame. The undershirt had large ruffles at the collar. “It’s time for your afternoon etiquette lesson.”
“No!” Kuya skittered off the large cushion and rushed over to Sawyer, hiding behind his chair. He bared his teeth. “Kuya hates being fancy! Kuya wants to play and nap.”
The man sighed. “Now, now. Come along.”
Kuya hissed at him.
It took all my strength not to laugh. Poor Kuya.
After some encouragement from the prince and him promising they’d eat cake together afterward, Kuya joined the older man by the door and left the study, dragging his feet and grumbling as he went.
“If it were my decision, I wouldn’t change a single thing about him.” Sawyer stared after them. “Unfortunately, I’m learning I have very little control over my own life, let alone his. My father ordered for him to take the lessons.”
“The lessons seem like a good sign though.”
He looked at me. “How so?”
“Maybe I’m way off base, but it sounds like the king expects Kuya to stay by your side. More than just for protection. He wants Kuya to know table manners so he can accompany you to formal parties and events. Participating in the events too. Not just standing off to the side of the room unnoticed.”
A surprised gleam touched his green eyes. “I haven’t considered that before. Not that it’ll make much of a difference. My engagement to Lady Alina will be officially announced come spring. Then, she’ll be the one on my arm for those events.”
Fuck. “So, the arranged marriage is still happening?”
Sawyer nodded. “The announcement was delayed due to the incident with Haran. The baron doesn’t wish for his daughter to be in the capitol right now with tensions still so high, however, he and my mother agreed that spring would be ideal for a public appearance and to move forward with the preparations. What better way to lift the spirits of the people and say farewell to winter than by announcing a royal engagement?” The last sentence was spoken in a mocking tone. One I rarely heard him use.
I’d learned Sawyer had two sides. The friendly, kindhearted prince who wished to make a difference in the world, and the bitter one who loathed his title and wished for nothing more than to flee the castle with Kuya and be free.
“If only Lady Alina was like a wicked villainess from a romance novel,” I said. “Then we could hate on her and plan her defeat, putting an end to the whole thing. But no. She has to be a good person.”
That smoothed Sawyer’s bitter edge, if only a little. “She’s a lovely woman. An ideal match, in fact. Yet, I feel nothing for her beyond friendship and know I never will.” His gaze shifted to the cushion on the floor that had once held an adorable and mischievous demi-cat. “My heart is already spoken for.”
***
The cottage seemed even cozier that evening. Outside, the cold, crisp air told of winter’s approach, but inside, the hearths were lit, and the smell of baked goods filled our home: cinnamon, clove, apples, and cookies fresh from the oven.
The smell of the holidays.
Bremloc had its own traditions and celebrations for each season, and I wanted to show my men some of the ones from my old world.
Once the gingerbread men cooled, I decorated them and placed them on a platter, along with four steaming mugs of hot apple cider. Maddox’s voice carried from the reading parlor, where he and the other two relaxed in front of the fire. Briar’s laugh followed.
“I come bearing gifts.” I entered the room and set the platter on the coffee table. Maddox and Briar cuddled on the bigger couch while Lake sat in the plushy armchair across from them.
“Thanks, love.” Briar accepted his mug and kissed my temple. “We could smell this all the way from in here. That one”—he tipped his head to Maddox—“was getting antsy waiting on you.”
Maddox grunted before taking a swig from his mug. He paused and glanced down at it, brows lifting.
“Good, huh?” I asked.
“It’s decent.” He took another drink.
“Just decent?”
A grunt in response.
“Does it make you all warm and toasty? Does it melt your icy heart?”
“That’s yet to be determined.” He hid a smile behind his mug as he drank more.
“I quite enjoy this,” Lake said after sampling the cider. “Are the apples from our orchard?”
“Yep. The ones you picked earlier.” Our orchard wasn’t too far from the cottage. Just a short walk through the trees and down a small path Lake had made. Briar had used magic to fertilize the trees and make them grow faster so they’d be ready by winter. Herbology was definitely his specialty, my handsome, plant-loving snuggle bug.
Lake smiled. It had a shyness to it that damn near killed me. He was too cute sometimes.
“Okay, this is a very important question.” I motioned to the gingerbread men. “How would you eat this cookie?”
Lake’s wolf ears perked up, and he sat forward in the chair to get a closer look. “The cookie is in the shape of a man?”
“Yep. A man made of yummy gingerbread. The chewy kind. Not the ginger snaps that break off your teeth. I don’t like those.” I handed a cookie to each of them and waited.
Briar smiled down at his. “How charming. You gave him a little face. Oh, wait.” A short laugh left him as he examined it further. “This one has glasses.”
“And mine has a grumpy face,” Maddox said, scrutinizing the one I’d given him. It had an exaggerated downturned mouth and eyebrows in an angry slope. “Are you hinting at something, muffin?”
I grinned. “I bet it’s like looking into a mirror, right?”
His blue eyes narrowed before he bit off its head.
“Man down,” I said, curving my hand around my mouth for effect. “I repeat, gingerbread man is down and in the captain’s stomach.”
Maddox coughed, trying to cover up a laugh but failing. He had a nice laugh. Deep and gravelly.
“This one has ears like mine,” Lake said, still with that shy smile. “I’m not sure I can eat him.”
Briar bit into his cookie, going for the arm first.
I gasped.
“What?” he asked with a jolt, slapping a hand over his mouth to prevent any of the cookie from falling out. “What’s the matter?”
“You ate his arm first.” I tapped my chin. “Interesting. Do you like your patients to suffer before you kill them, Doctor?”
Briar shook his head with a snort. “This was a test?”
“Mhm.” I put my hands on my hips. “I thought Maddox would be the psychopath, but how fitting that it’s you instead. It’s always the quiet ones you never expect.”
“Did I pass the test?” Lake’s tail wagged once and brushed the back of the armchair.
I couldn’t fight it any longer. I went over and landed on his lap before bringing our mouths together. He slid his arms around me and emitted the softest of sounds.
“You taste like peaches,” I said against his lips.
“And you taste like home.” Lake skimmed his fingers up my spine before burying his hand in the back of my hair.
“Enough of that,” Maddox grumbled. “You’ll get enough time with Evan during your travels. He’s mine and the physician’s for the next two nights.”
“Now, Captain.” Briar adjusted his glasses. “Patience is a virtue.”
“I have no virtue when it comes to our muffin.” Maddox scooped me up in his arms and shoved his face against my neck, giving me raspberries.
I giggled and thrashed around. “That tickles!”
“Good.” He did it again.
Only two more nights before I left Bremloc for three or so weeks. Not seeing Briar and Maddox for that long would be damn hard, so I soaked up as much time with them as I could.
We cuddled by the fire and sipped hot apple cider, ate cookies, and talked late into the night. I didn’t remember falling asleep but woke in Maddox’s arms sometime later as he carried me upstairs. I laid my head on his shoulder and drifted back to sleep.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
I woke with a start and glanced around the bedroom. It was still dark outside. The fire burned low, needing to be stoked, but I was too comfortable to move. Maddox lay to my right and Briar to my left. Lake rested on my legs, his snores like faint puffs of air.
Something had woken me. But what? My sleep-muddled brain couldn’t figure it out, so I closed my eyes again, already forgetting about it.
A creak came from the hall.
Waking again, I glimpsed a dark shape moving past the open doorway. Is the cottage haunted? I stayed as still as possible. My eyes were probably playing tricks on me.
Creak.
Unless my ears were playing tricks on me too, something was definitely outside the bedroom. Please just let it be the typical creaks and groans an old house makes , I thought as I carefully wiggled free of my men and got out of bed.
Lake’s snores stopped, and his wolf ears flicked. Then, the puffs started up again. He was out like a light. They all were. And instead of curling back up with them, I was doing what I screamed for every dumb person in a horror movie not to do and went to investigate the mysterious noise.
Well, I never said I was a wise muffin lord.
After stepping into my slippers, I crept from the room and started down the hallway. The very dark hallway. Just as I was about to chicken out and rush back to the safety of the three men in my bed, a light flickered on from downstairs. The glow reflected off the wall near the staircase.
Waking Maddox would be the logical thing to do. Because if it wasn’t a ghost, it was a burglar. And although I’d been told my cuteness was a weapon, I doubted batting my eyes at the bad guy would have much effect on their decision to rob me blind. Or turn me into an Evan kabob.
But I didn’t wake him. Instead, I kept moving forward and went down the stairs. Outside, the sky was dark but gradually lightening. Dawn was close.
The glow came from the reading parlor, and I tiptoed that way. Peeking around the archway, I saw… nothing. The fire burned though. The source of the light. But who had lit it? Briar was strict when it came to the fire and wouldn’t have kept it burning all night.
“Looking for me?”
I squeaked and flung around.
Rowan perched against the wall, arms crossed and a curve to his lips. “Careful now, or you’ll wake the others. We wouldn’t want them coming to ruin our fun so soon.”
“Rowan,” I breathed out.
“Gods. I like the sound of my name on your lips.” He pushed from the wall and neared me without a sound. He could rival Lake on his stealth. Which also meant the creaks I’d heard were intentional. He’d wanted me to come investigate. He had known I would.
Not sure how I felt about that.
“Why are you here?” I shuffled back several steps, passing beneath the archway and into the reading parlor. He followed. “An even better question, how are you here? Did you pick the lock on the door?”
“No.” Rowan backed me up against one of the bookcases and rested a hand on the shelf beside my head. His scent tickled my nose, stirring up those annoying butterflies in my belly that had no right to flutter because of him. “A locked door means very little to me. I can go anywhere I please.”
“The shadows,” I said. “That’s how you got in? You can use them to go from one place to another.”
“Seems you aren’t just a pretty face after all.” He glided the backs of his fingers over my cheek, the contact so light it was more a whisper of air than an actual touch.
“I have my moments.” I should’ve shoved him away and yelled to wake my men. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. Despite his nefarious behavior, I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. Even without my protection stone. Which I just realized I wasn’t wearing.
It was on the nightstand.
“This would’ve been the opportune time to have that dagger I gave you.” Rowan withdrew from me but didn’t go far. I got the impression he wasn’t used to physical touch. When he touched me, it was always the lightest of caresses and very brief. “What if I’d been someone with ill intent? You’d be flat on your back right now with a blade in your gut. Silly boy.”
“An Evan kabob,” I muttered. “You didn’t answer my question. Why are you here?”
“I heard you’re leaving for Exalos soon.” He did a rolling motion with his fingers, bending in a short bow. “I came to offer my services.”
“Your services? Not sure how much being kidnapped will help me.”
“Was that sarcasm?” He tsked. “You should know that only attracts me more, little treasure. I like a challenge. You should also know that the retrieval of goods is only one of my many skills.”
“The retrieval of goods? That’s what we’re calling it now?” I glanced toward the window. The sky was lighter now. “Today’s my day off. I wanted to sleep in, but I’m still up before the sun.”
“Day off? I thought the café was only closed one day a week.”
“Usually, yes,” I answered. “But since I leave for Exalos tomorrow, the café’s closed so my men and I can spend the day together.”
“Adorable,” he muttered. “The four of you are so sweet it’s nauseating.”
“Gee, thanks.”
Rowan plopped down on the couch and snatched one of the leftover gingerbread men from the plate. “You asked your lovers how they’d eat this cookie as a sort of test, yes?”
The fuck?
“You heard that?” I felt awkward being the only one standing, so I sank down in the armchair. “Have you been skulking around here all day? You really are a stalker.”
“Oh, I’ve been here much longer than today. Well, it’d be yesterday now. The sun is nearly risen.” He examined the cookie but didn’t take a bite. “I’ve popped in several times over the past several weeks.”
My scalp tingled as a memory surged forward. “One night while I was, uh, with my men… in bed… I thought I saw you in the corner.”
“You did.” The fire danced in his topaz eyes. Something else shone in them too. Something darker. “Quite the sight I witnessed. Their hands and mouths all over you. The sounds they made you make. Your expression when they made you fly.”
“Well, that’s not mortifying at all,” I said under my breath. “But we’re free to do whatever we want in the privacy of our room. You should be ashamed for spying on us.”
“Me? Ashamed? Never.” Rowan shifted forward on the cushion, that dark gleam in his eyes still present and paired with a faint lifting of his mouth. “Perhaps next time, I’ll join you.”
I… didn’t know how to respond to that. So, I deflected. “Are you going to eat the cookie?”
“So you can test me as well?” Rowan lightly tapped the cookie against his lips. “You know, I’m wounded you didn’t decorate one with my likeness. I thought we had a connection. Such a pity.”
“I can always give it a green scarf and dagger really quick. Maybe a little snaggletooth, too, to represent your smirking habit.”
He laughed. “The knight bit the head off first. Specs went for the arm.”
“Specs? Are you referring to Briar?”
“I suppose so, if he’s the one with spectacles.” Rowan rotated the cookie in his hand. And then, he broke it in half at the waist. “This way will give him a quick death but ensure he’s conscious just long enough to know what’s been done to him. What does your little test say about me now?”
“Nothing I didn’t already know.” I fought a smile. He was trying to get a reaction out of me, and I didn’t want to humor him. “You’re a total sadist.”
Rowan placed the two halves back on the plate.
“You’re not going to eat it?” I asked.
“I told you before, I’m not fond of sweets.”
“Wow. That’s even more demented. Killing the poor gingerbread man and not even eating him after. Killing just for the thrill of it.”
“I’m nothing if not a seeker of thrills. Now, back to my offer…” Rowan stood from the couch. Could he not stay in one place for too long? Always had to be on the move. “You have your necklace, when you remember to wear it—” He rolled his eyes at me “—but it can’t protect you from everything. No magic can, no matter how powerful. Therefore, out of the kindness of my black heart, I’m willing to travel with you, using whatever means necessary to prevent you from coming to harm.”
“Whatever means necessary. Like using the Shadow Crusher?”
When he smiled—a real smile—it smoothed his jagged edge. Made him look more boyish somehow. “You truly do like my shadow magic, don’t you? It doesn’t frighten you?”
I shook my head. “It’s cool as hell, and I’m not just saying that. But why go through the trouble for me? Do you feel guilty about the whole kidnapping thing?”
“Guilty? No.” Rowan stepped over to the bookcase and trailed a finger along the spines of the novels. “The days we spent together awoke something in me. I’ll never regret or feel guilty for the choice that led to that realization.”
“What did you realize?”
“That maybe not every person in this world is as rotten as I once believed. For the first time in my life, I met someone I felt like I could…” He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It matters to me.” But why did it matter? Why was my throat suddenly tight and my breaths heavy?
“You fascinate me, Evan,” Rowan whispered. “More than that, you’ve consumed me in ways I can’t understand. I’ve gone years without feeling anything at all. But ever since meeting you, I have this fire inside my heart.”
I knew that fire. I felt it too.
“I meant what I said on that castle balcony months ago,” he continued. “You’re a treasure unlike any other. And though I’m sure your knight will send a force of men to escort you, I don’t trust them to protect you.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“Your trip to Exalos isn’t all I’ve overheard while here in Bremloc. There have been whisperings of other things as well.”
“What kind of things?”
“Ones I’m sure your captain will be interested in hearing.” He focused on a book with a vine of roses along the spine. “If I’m so inclined to tell him, that is.”
Steps sounded from the hall.
Rowan turned toward the archway. “Looks like we’re out of time, little treasure.”
Three forms were cast in shadow before they entered the room, Maddox in front and Lake close on his heels. Both had a murderous gleam in their eyes as they aimed for Rowan.
“Wait!” I jumped in front of them. “He hasn’t done anything wrong. He was just—”
“Stand aside!” Maddox snapped at me.
“So you can hurt him? I don’t think so. Calm down and hear him out first. He offered to travel with me—”
“Why are you protecting him?” Maddox roared. “Have you forgotten what he did to you? You met with him, and you’re not even wearing your damned protection stone. By the gods, Evan, I wonder sometimes if you have any sense of self-preservation at all.”
I shrunk back from his anger. “I’m sorry.”
Instantly, that anger died down, and his expression turned pained. “Sweetheart, I—”
“You scared him,” Rowan said. He hadn’t moved from his spot in front of the bookcase. “Nicely done, Captain .”
In a mere second, Lake was shoving Rowan against the shelf and baring his teeth. The purple of his eyes flared bright, a sign of his intense emotion. “Move even a hair and I’ll rip out your throat.”
Briar appeared at my side and kissed my temple. “Are you hurt at all, love?”
I shook my head. A familiar weight then came around my neck as he fastened the protection stone. Warmth pooled in my veins, and little sparks shot through my chest. Wearing the necklace made me feel safe. Treasured.
Maddox’s big hand found mine, and he bent down to rest our foreheads together. “Forgive me for shouting. I let my fear get the better of me.”
“Your fear?”
“Of losing you,” he said. “You’re too trusting, Evan. Too kindhearted. It worries me, now more than ever, when you’re so close to leaving my side.”
“I have no intention of harming him,” Rowan huffed. “You, on the other hand, aren’t as fortunate. I wouldn’t mind reenacting the cookie man’s fate.”
Lake snarled and gripped him tighter.
“Do you mind calling off your guard dog?” Rowan asked me. “I could’ve easily followed you in secret when you left Bremloc, yet I came here first, knowing full well your possessive lovers would do… well, this . Ask yourself why.”
He had a point. Asking for permission wasn’t exactly his thing. He did what he wanted, when he wanted to do it.
“Okay, then why?” I pressed.
“Because I wanted to speak with them.” His gaze landed on Maddox. “You in particular.”
“Explain.” Maddox brought me closer in that familiar protective way. Then to Lake, “Allow him room to speak.”
Lake nodded and eased his hold on Rowan but stayed close.
Rowan dusted off his shirt from where Lake had grabbed him. “When necessary, knights are in the trade of doing business with people of certain talents, despite their perceived unsavory qualities, yes?”
Maddox only stared at him.
“Oh, stop with the intimidation attempt, Captain. I’ve seen baby boars scarier than you. Answer me or don’t. The question was rhetorical. I already know you have an arrangement with the pirate captain.”
“Um, what?” I looked between him and Maddox. “Pirate captain?”
There was a tic in Maddox’s jaw. He kept his eyes on Rowan. “How did you learn of this?”
“Well, you see, that’s my skill,” Rowan said. “I’m a procurer of knowledge.”
“A spy, you mean.”
Were neither of them going to elaborate about the pirate? Because that’s where my mind was still stuck. Seriously, what the actual hell? A real freaking pirate captain. Did he have a huge ship with black sails? A parrot? Booty that he’d plundered?
“Call it what you will.” Rowan flicked his hand. “Regardless of the title, those with this skill are considered a valuable asset. After all, you have your own secret force of spies working within the Order of Knights.”
The muscle in Maddox’s jaw tightened even more. If he ground his teeth any harder, they’d break off.
Spies. Pirates. This fantasy world had so many layers, most of which I hadn’t even uncovered yet.
“There’s a secret force of spies?” I asked. “Really?”
“Yes,” Maddox answered me without taking his eyes off Rowan. “They gather intel, scout locations, and are sent on stealth-focused missions. Among other things. No one outside the Order of Knights knows of their existence, with the exception of the king and his closest advisors.”
“And now me.” Rowan grinned.
“What interests me the most is how you’ve managed to… procure this knowledge of the inner workings of the knights, yet none from the Secret Order have detected you .”
“Fascinating, isn’t it?” Rowan picked at his nails. “I suppose these spies of yours need better training, for I’ve been sneaking around the castle for weeks, and no one has been the wiser.”
“You could be imprisoned for that,” Briar said. “Executed, even.”
A spark of mischief shone in Rowan’s eyes. “They’d have to catch me first.”
“Make your point, bandit, and be quick about it,” Maddox growled. “My patience is wearing thin.”
“He’s not a bandit,” I whispered. “He’s told me like a billion times.”
Rowan clasped both hands against his heart and smiled at me. “We’re making progress, you and I. Fortifying our bond. Do you feel it too?”
More than I cared to admit, yes. Damn him.
Maddox sneered. “Earlier, you mentioned a business arrangement. What is it you want?”
“What I want?” Rowan’s focus shifted to me, then back to him. “Can be discussed later. As for what I can give you? Information.”
“Concerning what?”
Rowan stepped toward the fire, and Lake growled. “Easy, wolf. I’m merely seeking warmth.” He knelt on the rug in front of the hearth and warmed his palms. The glow from the flames made the dark auburn strands of his hair brighter. “Many believe the light is where one finds enlightenment, but darkness is where the real truth lies. When you whisper to the shadows, they find me and whisper back.”
“What did you learn?” Briar asked. He and Maddox hadn’t taken a single step away from me. They stayed right by my side.
“I came upon certain secrets spoken in dark corridors and the plots devised from them. Plots to destroy Bremloc’s defenses from within. Is that information worthy of your time, oh great and mighty captain?”
Maddox stared at him, expression hard. “You tell me nothing I don’t already know. There are those who are always plotting such things against us, but our defenses are strong.”
“Ah, they are.” Rowan nodded. “However, even a fortress believed to be impenetrable can eventually fall if traitors dwell within the walls.”
“Traitors?”
Rowan matched the captain’s hard stare. “You and your knights are monitoring all the ships that come into the area and patrolling the roads for traveling caravans, completely unaware that the enemy you search for is already among you.”